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Tuesday, 28 April 2015

This evening I've managed to create a card in double quick time! Considering on Sunday I spent the whole afternoon trying I was more than surprised that I created this card in less than an hour! The design is along the lines that I was trying to create on Sunday involving a collection of tag dies and a floral stamp. This is it:

Monday, 27 April 2015

I'm sure many viewers, when seeing this card, will be thinking ... 'Is that all there is?'. Perhaps I should explain that I started with an idea and a 5 inch by 7 inch piece of card ... this is all that is left. My original idea just would not work no matter what I did! I'm sure I cannot be alone in experiencing this problem, so in an attempt to avoid Sunday afternoon being a complete waste of time I created this card:

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The sentiment and ribbon are gold.

The design and layout couldn't be more simple - it is not what I set out to create but is OK.

Friday, 24 April 2015

Back again in my role as Guest Designer for the challenge at Uniko Studios. There is still time to join in with the challenge and still the chance that you might win a Uniko Studio voucher. The theme is 'Things with Wings' and again I have gone to the beautiful butterflies stamp set by Uniko. This card is softer and more delicate than the first card.

I used:Uniko Studio - English Country Garden Butterflies - Classic NumbersStampendous - White Embossing PowderDistress Inks - Tumbled Glass, Peacock Feathers, Salty OceanWhy not pop across and enter the challenge.Enjoy!Friday evening edit: Popped back to enter this week's "Less is More" Challenge where the them is Up, Up and Away - balloons, planes, other things that fly and things that can be carried along on the breeze

My weekend didn't go exactly as planned so I didn't get the chance to be creative - I had to make an unplanned family visit to Lincolnshire. I've tried to make up for it this evening by creating two cards.This card I have created using one of my new Uniko Studio stamp set Paradise - Hummingbird. It is exciting when you have new stamps to try out. I've not been very imaginative with my design but I know that I am going to love this bird.

I am going to enter the challenge on the Uniko Studio Blog where the theme is 'Things with Wings'.Enjoy!

Friday, 17 April 2015

I get a really good feeling when I am lucky enough to win a challenge with one of my cards. When winning includes being asked to be Guest Designer for a future challenge before my sensible head has had chance to consider what's involved my heart has responded 'Yes, of course I'd love too!!' It is always at this point that doubt sets in - can I do it justice, will I be able to come up with something suitable, have I a suitable stamp set and millions of other questions. This post is all about the new challenge at Uniko Studios - I'm the Guest Designer this month and I am delighted, excited and nervous (in equal measures). The theme for the challenge is "Things with Wings" and I've gone with Butterflies. This is my colourful take on the theme:

I love Uniko stamps Bev's designs are beautiful - I have my favourite and if gerberas had wings I would probably have used it for this challenge! But these butterflies are fast becoming a favourite too.I used:Uniko Studio English Country Garden: ButterfliesDistress Inks - Festive Berries, Ripe Persimmon, Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean, Chipped Sapphire, Dusty Concord.Memento Dye Ink - DandelionVersafine Onyx Black InkI hope I've inspired you to join in the challengeEnjoy!Monday evening edit: Thanks for all the kind comments. I've popped back this evening to link up with the challenge at TIME OUT it's an 'Inspired by Words' challenge - 'You can't make a rainbow without a little rain'.

Thursday, 16 April 2015

I've taken time out this afternoon to do a little crafting ... there are just some days when I need to stop and re-group and I find that crafting is a good way of doing this!

I've actually created two cards using virtually the same stamps and inks - slightly different sized cards but very much the same look. I was thinking of the challenge at "Less is More" - one layer card using splatters. I have used some splatter stamps but I also thought that some of the other small stamps give the appearance of splatter (at least they do if you scrunch your eyes up and peak through the tiny opening!!). I'm not happy with them but here they are anyway.

Warm shades and flower parts!

Rainbow colours - butterflies and bees

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Tuesday, 14 April 2015

Where does the time go to ... it just seems like the year is disappearing before my eyes!! We are well into Spring in the UK and the past few days the weather has been kind to us ... blue skies and sunshine. I finished the Easter school holidays with a trip to visit family in Lincolnshire so very little time for crafting! But I did have time to make some crafty purchases! Back to work yesterday and no time off now (except for weekends) until the end of May! I managed to create a card for this week's challenge at "Less is More". It is One Layer card week with the additional theme of Splatters! I have yet to master the art of creating splatters with inks and brushes but I do have a number of stamp sets that include splatters! This is my very 'soft' card:

This involved lots of masking and stamping and very little else!Enjoy!Edit: Just popped back to enter the challenge at Stamping Senstations April challenge - where the theme is Pretty in Pink. Thanks for the heads up Viv! This is a new challenge for me!

Wednesday, 8 April 2015

Another day, another card! I spent a lot of time sitting and staring today - the ideas were just not at the forefront of my mind! Eventually this is the card I made:

A very different card for me! I began by die cutting a collection of numbers into the top layer this panel was then adhered to a piece of black card stock using foam adhesive to provide dimension (including the centres of some of the numbers) and finished the card with the sentiment stamped onto white card with just a little turquoise card peeking out!I am going to enter this in:"Less is More" Challenge 218 Colour challenge - Predominantly BlackSTAMPlorations Monthly Challenge - Stamps and numbersEnjoy!

Tuesday, 7 April 2015

Back again for my second post of the day!This time my card has more colours. My inspiration for this card is from the challenge at TIME OUT challenges where the criteria is to CASE a beautiful card created by Kim Makortoff - check out Kim's blog for some inspiring projects. See below for Kim's card.I took her design and created my own take - using the layout and flowers this is my version:

I've stamped and masked the flowers before water colouring them using distress inks I've mounted the panel using some foam adhesive just to create some added dimension to the card.This is Kim's card:

I used:STAMPlorations Bloom SketchesDistress Inks - Festive Berries, Fired Brick, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Peeled PaintClearly Besotted Many MessagesVersafine Onyx Black inkAs I have used STAMPloration stamps I am also going to link up to the Anything Goes ongoing challenge over on their blog.

Usually when it is the school holidays I have lots of time to create and craft but not these holidays. I spent the whole of last week decorating! I've taken my lounge from mid blue to cream in four easy layers well actually not so easy as our lounge has a vaulted ceiling from almost 5 metres high down to normal room height. This meant that I spent most of the week stood on top over a very high ladder but four coats of emulsion later I have a lovely cream room. All I need to do now is to make new curtains!I did manage a day out yesterday with my family at a local Point-to-Point horse racing meeting at Lockinge (a small village outside of Wantage, Oxfordshire) which was great fun. We spent the day in beautiful English countryside on a wonderfully sunny day.Today I have managed to create a card for this week's challenge at "Less is More" - it's a colour theme this week and cards need to be 'predominantly black' (we are able to use a little of another colour). I like making monochrome cards but I don't recall making one with just black before. This is my take on the theme:

About Me

My name is Elaine and I am a part time crafter - unfortunately I cannot afford to be a full time crafter! I create with textiles, enjoy knitting, sewing, cross stitch and embroidery. I also enjoy paper crafts and try to make all my own cards.